Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was born on June 4, 1975 to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. She and her brother, James Haven, were primarily raised by their mother following her parents’ divorce. It was Bertrand’s film work that inspired Jolie to become an actress, and they remained extremely close until her death from cancer in 2007. Voight and Jolie were estranged on and off for many years, but are currently reconciled.

Jolie first experimented in theater productions and modeling before appearing in music videos. Her first starring role in a movie came with 1995’s “Hackers.” Two years later, Jolie won a Golden Globe for her supporting performance in the television movie “George Wallace,” for which she also received an Emmy nomination. In 1998, Jolie scored her second Golden Globe for the HBO movie “Gia,” in which she played the late supermodel Gia Carangi.

Jolie’s success continued with 1999’s “Girl, Interrupted,” for which she received an Oscar for her portrayal of a woman with mental illness. The role also gave the star her third Golden Globe and her second Screen Actors Guild statues. Her first blockbuster, “Gone in 60 Seconds” was followed by 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” giving Jolie her first major international hit.

In 2005, Jolie appeared with future husband Brad Pitt in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and received additional awards nominations for 2007’s “A Mighty Heart” and 2008’s “Changeling,” the same year she was named Hollywood’s highest-paid actress. Additional hit movies during this time period included “Kung Fu Panda,” “Wanted” and “Salt.” Despite her superstardom, Jolie opted to cut down on film roles following her mother’s death, choosing instead to spend more time with her family.

In 2011, Jolie directed her first feature film, “In The Land Of Blood And Honey,” a love story set during the Bosnian War. Her first acting role in more than three years came with 2014’s “Maleficent,” after which she directed “Unbroken,” based on the life of Olympian-turned-war-hero Louis Zamperini. In 2015, Jolie directed and co-starred alongside Pitt in the movie “By The Sea,” which is due to be released in 2015.

After an admittedly troubled and wild youth, Jolie became dedicated to humanitarian efforts, and frequently works with refugees on behalf of the United Nations, fighting against sexual violence in war zones. She adopted her first son, Maddox, from Cambodia in 2002, followed by daughter Zahara from Ethiopia in 2005. Pitt adopted both children, and then Jolie gave birth to their daughter Shiloh in 2006. In 2007, they adopted another son, Pax, from Vietnam, and Jolie gave birth to twins Vivienne and Knox in 2008. Jolie and Pitt became engaged in 2012 and married in 2014.

Prior to Pitt, Jolie was married to Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. In 2013, Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she had a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases a person’s chances of getting breast cancer. Since her mother battled and ultimately died from ovarian cancer, Jolie has not ruled out getting her ovaries removed at a future date.

In September 2016, Jolie and Pitt announced they were filing for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The split immediately followed an incident onboard an international flight with their children, during which the two became engaged in an argument. The actress’s next directorial effort, “First They Killed My Father,” will be released in late 2017. She’s also attached to star in a sequel to “Maleficent.”